Information about 2004 In New Zealand

Summary

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II
• Governor-General - Dame Silvia Cartwright

Government

• Speaker of the House - Jonathan Hunt (Labour)
• Prime Minister - Helen Clark (Labour)
• Deputy Prime Minister - Michael Cullen (Labour)
• Minister of Finance - Michael Cullen (Labour)
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Phil Goff (Labour)

Opposition Leaders

• National - Don Brash (Leader of the Opposition)
• Greens - Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald
• Act - Richard Prebble then Rodney Hide
• New Zealand First - Winston Peters
• United Future - Peter Dunne
• Māori Party - Tariana Turia

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland - John Banks then Dick Hubbard
• Mayor of Hamilton - David Braithwaite then Michael Redman
• Mayor of Wellington - Kerry Prendergast
• Mayor of Christchurch - Gary Moore
• Mayor of Dunedin - Sukhi Turner then Peter Chin

Other

• State Services Commissioner - Mark Prebble

Events

• 27 January: National Party leader Don Brash delivers a speech at Orewa highly critical of the government's policy towards Māori.
• 8 April: New Zealand First party announces it would give its support to the government's foreshore legislation.
• 30 April: Tariana Turia announces she will vote against the Government's foreshore and seabed legislation.
• 5 May: A hikoi against the foreshore and seabed legislation arrives in Wellington.
• 7 May: The government's foreshore and seabed Bill passes its first vote in Parliament.
• 11 May: The Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act is passed. The Act allows people who have not reoffended for seven years to not declare minor criminal convictions in most circumstances.
• 30 June: Statistics New Zealand estimates for this date put the Cities of Lower Hutt and Tauranga at over 100,000 residents for the first time and Waimakariri District at over 40,000
• 1 July: First sitting of the new Supreme Court.
• 10 July: Te Tai Hauauru by-election won by Tariana Turia for the new Māori Party.
• 15 July: 2004 Israel-New Zealand spy scandal: New Zealand imposes diplomatic sanctions against Israel after two Israeli citizens are convicted of passport fraud.
• 2 August: Around 7,500 Destiny Church members march on Parliament in black shirts to protest liberal social policies.
• 15 August: Tornado in Waitara. Two fatalities when a farmhouse is destroyed. http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php?static=2004winter3
• 19 August: Cereal maker Dick Hubbard announces he is running for the position of Mayor of Auckland.
• 6 October: Waikato Hospital doctors complete a 22 hour surgery to separate a pair of conjoined twins.
• 9 October: 2004 local body and health board elections completed, but not all of the counting; and some results need to wait for special votes. All three West Coast mayors unseated, along with several in more populous centres such as Auckland.
• November 18: Legislation passed vesting ownership of all land up to the high tide mark in New Zealand with the Crown.
• 29 November: The Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act comes into force.
• 9 December: The Supreme Court of New Zealand granted Ahmed Zaoui bail. He will reside in the Dominican Friary in Auckland. He will have to report to the Police twice a week and must spent each night in the Friary.
• 9 December: The Civil Unions Act is passed. The Act establishes the new institution of civil union, available to same-sex and de facto couples.
• 10 December: Smoking is banned in workplaces or licensed premises.

Arts and literature

New Books

Awards

• Katherine Duignan wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Montana Book Awards 2004

• Deutz Medal for Fiction - Slow Water by Annamarie Jagose
• Montana Medal for Non-fiction - The Trial of the Cannibal Dog by Anne Salmond
• Readers' Choice - Penguin History of New Zealand by Michael King
• Poetry - Sing-song by Anne Kennedy
• History - The Trial of the Cannibal Dog by Anne Salmond
• Lifestyle and contemporary culture - Classic fly fishing in New Zealand Rivers by David Hallett and John Kent
• Biography - Mason by Rachael Barrowman
• Illustrative - Central by Arno Gasteiger
• Reference & Anthology - Whetu Moana: Contemporary Polynesian Poetry in English
• Environment - Deep New Zealand: Blue Water, Black Abyss by Peter Batson
• A.W. Reed Award for Contribution to New Zealand Literature - Joy Cowley

Music

• New Zealand Music Awards
• Album Of The Year: Scribe - The Crusader
• Single Of The Year: Scribe – Stand Up
• Best Group: Dimmer - You've Got To Hear The Music
• Breakthrough Artist Of The Year: Brooke Fraser - What To Do With Daylight
• Best Male Solo Artist: Scribe – The Crusader
• Best Female Solo Artist: Brooke Fraser - What To Do With Daylight
• Highest Selling Nz Album: Hayley Westenra - Pure
• Highest Selling Nz Single: Ben Lummis - They Can'T Take That Away
• Songwriter Of The Year: Scribe, P-Money, Con Psy & Savage - Not Many : The Remix!
• Best Music Video: Chris Graham - Stand Up (Scribe)
• Best Rock Album: Dimmer - You've Got To Hear The Music
• Best Urban/Hip Hop Album: Scribe – The Crusader
• Best Dance/Electronica Album: Salmonella Dub - One Drop East
• Best Maori Album: Ruia - Hawaiki
• Best Pacific Music Album: Te Vaka - Tutuki
• Best Jazz Album: The Rodger Fox Big Band - A Rare Connection
• Best Classical Album: John Psathas - Psathas : Fragments
• Best Gospel / Christian Album: Magnify - In Wonder
• International Achievement: Hayley Westenra
• People's Choice Award: Scribe
• Best Producer: P-Money - The Crusader (Scribe)
• Best Engineer: Chris Van De Geer - Passenger – (Carly Binding)
• Best Album Cover: Ben Sciascia - Postage (Supergroove)
• Airplay Record Of The Year: Goldenhorse - Maybe Tomorrow
• Best Country Music Album: Donna Dean - Money
• Best Country Music Song: Donna Dean – Work It Out
• Best Folk Album: Brendyn Montgomery And Mike Considine - Mountain Air
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Shaun Joyce

Television

• 28 March: Māori Television commences.
• September 22: Animated series bro'Town premieres on TV3.
• The Insider's Guide to Happiness

Film

• February 29: wins all 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated.
• Fracture
• In My Father's Den
• Kaikohe Demolition

Internet

Sport

Athletics

• Dale Warrender wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:23:40 on May 1 in Rotorua, while Nyla Carroll claims her second in the women's championship (2:46:44).

Basketball

• The National Basketball League was won by the Auckland Stars who beat the Nelson Giants 80-68 in the final.
• The Women’s National Basketball League was won by the Canterbury Wildcats who beat the Nelson Sparks 68-58 in the final.

Cricket

• The State Championship for 2003-04 was won by the Wellington Firebirds.
• In December Australia and New Zealand played a series of 3 one-day matches in Australia for the inaugural Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. After winning one game each, the decider was washed out by rain, so the trophy was shared.

Olympic Games

• August: New Zealand wins five medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics at Athens.

Rugby league

• Bartercard Cup won by the Mt Albert Lions

Rugby union

• June - July: 2004 Philips International Series: The All Blacks beat England 36-3, England 36-12, Argentina 41-7 and Pacific Islanders rugby union team 41-26.
• July 17: The All Blacks beat Australia 16-7 at Westpac Stadium as part of the 2004 Tri Nations Series
• July 24: The All Blacks beat South Africa 23-21 at Jade Stadium as part of the 2004 Tri Nations Series
• August 7: The All Blacks lose 18-23 to Australia at Telstra Stadium as part of the 2004 Tri Nations Series
• August 14: The All Blacks lose 26-40 to South Africa at Ellis Park Stadium as part of the 2004 Tri Nations Series
• August 15: Bay of Plenty beat Auckland 33-28 to take the Ranfurly Shield
• September 5: Canterbury beat Bay of Plenty 33-26 to take the Ranfurly Shield
• November 13: The All Blacks beat Italy 59-10 at Stadio Flaminio as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe
• November 20: The All Blacks beat Wales 26-25 at Millennium Stadium as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe
• November 27: The All Blacks beat France 45-6 at Stade de France as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe
• December 4: The All Blacks beat The Barbarians 47-9 at Twickenham as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe

Soccer

• Chatham Cup won by Mirimar Rangers

Births

Deaths

• January: Sir Peter Elworthy, farmer, politician, businessman.
• 25 January: Sonny Schmidt, bodybuilder.
• 29 January: Janet Frame, writer.
• 16 February: Don Cleverley, cricketer.
• March: Frank Mooney, cricketer.
• March: Arthur Kinsella, politician.
• 17 March: Sir William Pickering, space scientist.
• 30 March: Michael King, historian.
• June: Amelia Batistich, author.
• 26 June: Ronald Sharp, inventor of the herringbone cowshed.
• June: Allan Henderson Smith DFC and Bar, fighter pilot.
• June: Pat Kelly, union leader.
• 26 July: Morton W. Coutts, brewing pioneer.
• 14 August: Eric Petrie, cricketer.
• 11 September: Ruth Symons, cricketer.
• 5 October: Maurice Wilkins, scientist.
• 10 October: Maurice Shadbolt, writer.
• 23 October: George Silk, photojournalist.
• 11 December: Arthur Lydiard, athletics coach.

See also

• New Zealand at the 2004 Summer Olympics